


bloom (just for you)

by Spring_Emerald



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Angst and Humor, KuroDai Week 2019, M/M, i guess?, kuroo gets the bishie sparkles treatment but not in the way you might think, training camp arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 13:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21732988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spring_Emerald/pseuds/Spring_Emerald
Summary: “Where is that smell coming from?” Daichi asks, momentarily forgetting about his anger.“Me,” Kuroo answers him, shoulders slumping.“…you? Why would you- wait, why are you sparkling?”-----For KuroDai Mid-Birthday Week 2019 Day 1:song-inspired|magical realism|tattoo artist & florist au
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 99
Collections: KuroDai Week - 2019





	bloom (just for you)

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY MID-BIRTHDAY TO MY OTP!!!! HAPPY KURODAI MID-BIRTHDAY WEEK EVERYONE!!!!
> 
> Song inspiration: [Bloom by Troye Sivan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxmtHVSVjdo) Well, not exactly related to the song, but I got the title from here, and this was playing in the bg while i was writing soo....
> 
> Anyway, grossly unedited so please forgive any mistakes. 
> 
> Enjoy!!!! :)

Daichi frowns when he didn’t see the tall bed-headed captain among the other players who were waiting for their arrival. It’s unusual because all the other captains are there along with some of his teammates. It just struck him as weird that he isn’t with his usual group. He takes his phone out to check if there’s any messages from Kuroo, but there isn’t.

“Daichi?” He feels a hand on his back and looks up at Asahi’s worried frown. “Everything alright?”

Daichi nods. “Yeah,” he says, pushing the anxious thoughts away. Kuroo’s probably busy helping Coach Nekomata or something. His absence is nothing to be worried about. Besides, they’ll see each other later and will have more time to talk then. With assurance in mind, he hefts his bag on his shoulder, and with strict instructions to be in their best behaviors, he ushers his teammates out the bus, where the inevitable loud and excited greeting, courtesy of his rambunctious teammates disturbs the otherwise quiet of the surrounding suburb.

He shares a fond but exasperated look with Suga at their teammates’ antics and smiles as he shakes his head. Some things never change.

Then he thinks of Kuroo and the back-and-forth messages between them, the promise of something deeper and less antagonistic than rivalry but nonetheless passionate, and thinks that maybe, one thing will.

\-----

Except it won’t. Not until he talks to Kuroo. Which is difficult at the moment, considering he’s seen neither hide nor hair of the said guy. Lunch has come and gone, and Kuroo’s still nowhere to be seen. Maybe he’s running an errand? Kai was surprisingly absent as well during the break, maybe they were doing something that the coaches asked of them? Maybe get more things for another planned barbecue or something?

Daichi would’ve let it go like that, would’ve patiently waited for Kuroo to message or to appear except the Nekoma members are acting rather strange.

Not around the other Karasuno members, no. Yamamoto’s still diligently following Nishinoya like a loyal disciple, with Tanaka in tow to encourage the crazy, but once he got in the general vicinity of the group to say hi (and maybe to gently remind his underclassmen to behave properly) like the polite person and captain that he is, he can’t help but notice how Yamamoto instantly stiffened and started acting flighty and fidgety, and can’t even meet his eyes. He can’t get ahold of Kenma, because Hinata’s attached to his hip since they arrived, and Yaku is supervising Lev, like a mother looking over her two-year-old child.

What gave it away was how he noticed how Bokuto’s on the verge of going to their group to come over and chat, but is always pulled back by Akaashi.

Honestly, it feels a lot like one huge prank is being played on them, on him, specifically, and the knot of anxiety that balled up in his stomach a while ago twists and tightens even more.

Just where is Kuroo?

\-----

It’s a miracle that he’s able to focus on the practice matches during the day, what with the restless state he’s in. He’s doing his captain duties on autopilot and thankfully, Suga is as perceptive as ever and is there to fill any gaps and things he’d missed.

He’s just worried about Kuroo. No one mentioned about him getting hurt, or not being in the camp. He’d never taken this long to reply to him, and in the instances that he did, he always explains why, not that Daichi required him to or something, knowing full well that Kuroo’s also a busy senior like him and had other things going for him, but the thought and explanation was still reassuring. So this radio silence for almost three days is uncharacteristic.

Because the latest message he finally caved in to send still goes unread, Daichi decided to look for him and heads to the wing of the campus designated as the sleeping quarters of Nekoma and Ubugawa.

It’s well that he meets Lev on his way there.

“Hi, Lev,” he greets, reassuring captain smile firmly in place. Lev returns his greeting with a small, respectful bow. “Is Kuroo around?” he asks. He might as well, to make sure his trek won’t be futile.

Lev shifts his gaze to the side and bounce on the ball of his feet. “Uhhh, um, yeah. Kuroo-san’s around. He’s um… resting. Yeah. He’s resting.”

“Why? Did something happen? Is he sick?” Daichi frowns.

“Ah no, it’s not like that.” Lev scratches his head. “Actually, I’m not sure what happened to him, but he’s been cooped up in one of the spare classrooms all day. Also, Kai-san’s been bringing him his food and all that, so maybe he is.”

Daichi exhales a worried breath. “Can I visit him?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sawamura-san,” he shakes his head. “You see, I kind of overheard him talking to Kai-san, Yaku-san, and Kenma-san- I wasn’t eavesdropping, promise!” He flushes, and even puts a hand up in swearing position, “I heard it because it was kind of loud, because Kuroo-san shouted it, but he said that he…uhhh, he doesn’t want… to see you?” Lev bites down on his lower lip, looking at Daichi, apologetic.

Actually, Kuroo-san said he doesn’t think he can stand to be in the same room with Sawamura-san, but Lev thought that sounded more awful so he decided to lie about what he heard.

Daichi blinks up at him, blinks away the sudden hurt that spiked the tightening knot of anxiety in his stomach.

“He,” he swallows, “he said that?” He asks in a small voice.

Lev only nods. Before he can say anything to Daichi though, a sliding door opens, and Yaku’s distant voice floats loud enough to reach where Daichi and Lev are standing.

“You’re gonna have to face him sooner or later, Kuroo. You can’t hide in here forever.”

Then the door close and footsteps can be heard getting louder.

“Lev, what are you standing there for?” Yaku’s behind Lev now and he steps closer.

“Are you- Sawamura!” He exclaims upon finally seeing Daichi and quickly throws a glance at the direction he came from. “Uhh, wh-what are you doing here?” He gives Daichi a fake smile that made Daichi feel even worse.

“I thought I’d see Kuroo. But I guess there won’t be any need for that.” He gives the two of them a tight smile then abruptly turns and leaves.

He doesn’t hear Yaku slap Lev on the arm nor the hissed demand to know what he said.

\-----

Daichi doesn’t find Suga and instead just messages him that he’s going to be gone for a while and he’ll probably miss dinner, and that there will no need to look for him, he just needs some time alone and so he’s leaving him in charge for the meantime. He didn’t offer much explanation and avoids the areas where camp members are possibly congregating, afraid to break and be seen breaking by them, because he doesn’t know how much he can hold it. Everything is dramatic enough as it is, and he doesn’t want to involve more people, much less the members of the different clubs and add more to it.

He seeks asylum by the water fountain at the back of the campus and there, he cried his eyes out, not noticing the passage of time, how the orange dusk tinted sky turned to that of deep melancholic blue, nor the sound of the cicadas that started humming around, drowning the area with their soft music, because he’s busy drowning in his own tears.

He knew it. He didn’t want to think about the possibility of it because it will just cause him to spiral into even more negative thoughts, but it was always at the back of his mind, this niggling thought. He thought everything was going well. Despite his hesitation, Kuroo convinced him, and he thinks he’d return the affections back as best as he could despite it being a delicate and not an official thing, but he thought they had an understanding.

They were supposed to talk about it tonight, the possibility of getting together, for real, and try to squeeze in as much time as they can together until they see each other again. Daichi had been looking forward to it. Until three days ago when Kuroo’d stop replying to his messages.

And it hurts, because he’d hoped. What he wasn’t counting on was how Kuroo can do something like this. The pity he feels for himself slowly changes to anger. One that is directed at Kuroo. If he changed his mind, the least he can do is be man enough to face Daichi and tell it to his face that he can’t, doesn’t want to do this anymore. Daichi’s not a child. He can take it. He will be hurt, but he can take it. He deserves that kind of honesty and a clean break, right?

Who does Kuroo think he is?

Daichi angrily wipes his tears, almost scratches himself in his haste and intensity. If Kuroo thinks Daichi’s going to back away without giving him a piece of his mind, then he’s got another thing coming. So he stands, dusts himself, washes his face and drinks some water and sets out to find one Kuroo Tetsurou.

\-----

Which didn’t happen because one Kuroo Tetsurou found him instead.

“Oh thank god, I found you,” are not the words Daichi are expecting to hear from a panting and disheveled Kuroo who seemed to have scoured every nook and cranny of the campus looking for him, nor is he expecting the obvious relief in Kuroo’s tone and expression, no matter how dimly lit the area they are in is, because he’s not supposed to sound like that especially after knowing what Daichi knows now, but he’ll take it.

Kuroo will really wish he will find god when he’s done with him.

“_You._” Daichi seethes, the glare he reserves for the most unruly of them all is directed full force at Kuroo and it makes him stumble and stop in his tracks. It even makes his knees tremble a little. Not because he’s scared, at least not completely because of that, but because Daichi looks so damn good and downright authoritative and Kuroo really shouldn’t be thinking about that right now.

“Sawamura, it’s not what you think-”

“Oh yeah? How can you possibly explain to me why you don’t want to see me, huh? What? You got bored already-”

“No!”

“I’m too easy for you-”

“No. That’s not-”

“-and now you got me, you want to drop me? Is that it?

“Sawamura, please-”

“It’s so easy for you to keep saying that you like me,” Daichi scoffs, but tears are threatening to fall again. “Were you just lying the whole time?” The tears fall and Kuroo wince at the sight of it.

“Of course not-”

“Are my feelings a game to you?” Daichi almost chokes on the sob that comes out. Kuroo, unable to take anymore, steps into his space and grabs Daichi by the shoulder and shakes him, effectively making him stop.

“Of course not, Sawamura! Please listen to me!” He pleads. “It’s not like that. I never lied to you. And I don’t think your feelings are a game, goodness. I’m so sorry I let it go for so long like this, but please, let me explain.”

Daichi swats the arms away from him angrily. “Then what is it? We were fine, and then for three days I hear nothing, then out of the blue you don’t want to see me?”

“It’s not like that. God, I want to see you so bad, Sawamura. I really do, it’s just-” he rakes his hand across his hair in agitation, but stops short and curses under his breath. “Ah, fuck.”

The smell of roses permeates the air and when Daichi sniffs he takes in a lungful of it and in confusion looks around. There are no roses planted around, he would’ve known, would’ve smelled it earlier if that were the case.

“Where is that smell coming from?” He asks, momentarily forgetting about his anger.

“Me,” Kuroo answers him, shoulders slumping.

“…you? Why would you- wait, why are you sparkling?” Daichi rubs his eyes because he might just be seeing things, but no. Even after he blinks, sparkles are still surrounding Kuroo and the longer he looks, the more things seem to add to whatever is happening to him. There are now bubbles floating sporadically, a soft light creating a halo around his head, and roses blooming on the sides of his Kuroo-vision.

“Kuroo, what is happening to you?”

“This is the reason why I didn’t seek you out.”

Kuroo takes them to the nearest bench and proceeds to explain how a few days ago, he bought a custom-made hair wax from an aesthetic witch.

“I just wanted to tame my hair and look good for you when we see each other again. I requested for it to be strong and retain its hold and scent, even after all the playing we’ll be doing. I said I want to remain appealing. But she operates like a genie and the devil is in the details. I put it on the other day, to practice styling my hair and I was fine, up until I was about to message you and I saw your picture and suddenly sparkles started to come out. Bubbles too, like I was a damn bubble machine, and the smell of roses were really strong I could rival a flower shop. It happened during practice so everybody saw, and they read the label, while I combed the FAQs of the product and we realized that _you_ trigger it.”

“Me?”

Kuroo nods. “Yes. It was so crazy. I tried washing it off, shampooed a lot. Taken multiple showers in a day, but it only strips away a few of its effect. Now, it only happens whenever I touch my hair, but it won’t stop until I’ve calmed down.”

Daichi takes it in but there’s something he wants to know. “How am I triggering it?”

Kuroo blushes and more sparkles comes out. “Sawamura, its effect is tied to how much I like you. The ‘strong’ had been taken to mean the strength of my feelings, and ‘retain its hold’ to not being easily washed off, even after shampooing. The scent component is tied to the two factors, and the appealing part in the form of the sparkles and the other ridiculous things.”

“So… you avoided me because you don’t want to smell like roses and become a human bubble machine?” Daichi doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but it’s a good thing he’s so confused.

Kuroo rolled his eyes good naturedly at him. “No. I avoided you because I didn’t want to overwhelm you with _my_ feelings. I didn’t want to see you because I just got over looking at your pictures, but I wouldn’t know how it would react to my reaction of seeing you again. I… I didn’t want to risk it.”

Daichi blinks. Then blinks some more. “So, you don’t hate me? You… you still like me?”

“I’m sorry I gave you the wrong idea, but it was the only way I can think of.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Kuroo.”

“Sawamura,” he says, the air becomes thick with the smell of roses again and Daichi gets how Kuroo could think he’s a bubble machine. “I could never hate you. And I _like_ like you. Very much. Too much.” More sparkles. “I wouldn’t be reacting like this if I didn’t.”

Daichi doesn’t know how the events turned out like this, how his hurt had turned into anger, turned into confusion, but now, he feels light. And wholly flattered. He’s not exactly vain, but the feeling of being liked too much feels good. Probably because he likes this boy too much too.

“Okay. Good,” he says absentmindedly.

Kuroo snorts. “Good that I smell roses and spread sparkles?”

“In a way. But what I mean is good, that you don’t hate me. Because I _like_ like you too. Very much.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :D


End file.
